Baby bored out of his mind by 5pm

[Carrotsurprise]

Anyone got any tips for this? I have a 9 month old and a 6 year old in the summer holidays and we're in a bit of a routine - early morning we're all getting ready for the day and baby has breakfast and is plays with his toys just fine. Then after his first nap we go out somewhere and come home for lunch. Then after second nap we're at a loss. We have a tiny house with no useable garden and everything is so hazardous outside of the living room so we're just in there at that time of day. We've already been out earlier so there's not a huge scope to go out again, it's really hard finding places a crawling baby can go to anyway where they're not just in the pram the whole time. The morning outing is basically park, library or soft play. He has lots of toys and books and we rotate them but still, after 4 or 5pm he's so bored of everything and whinges and whinges and whinges except when he gets hold of something he's not allowed to play with and then he makes such delighted excited noises I feel awful I'm not providing him with enough stimulation. All he's interested in at that time of day is trying to break past babyproofing. I can't stand it and presumably neither can he. And he doesn't go to bed till 8 so there are a lot of hours to fill. What can I do to give him something fresh to do that time of day?

Do you have anywhere nice to walk near you? Somewhere with lots of wildlife you can point out, or ducks, or a canal with barges on?! I’d get him in his pushchair, facing you, 6 year old walking with you and just chat to them both, pointing things out to baby and pass away an hour just watching the world go by and chatting!

Why is the garden not useable? Can you make it useable?

Why can't you go out again. It's summer. Sunset is late. You won't be able to do that in the winter and he'll be even older and even more bored.

Even just for a walk, round the block or locally.

Definitely get out of the house again in the afternoon! Or taje a picnic and stay out!

I often took mine out for a post-dinner, pre-bedtime park trip in the summer. Order I'd pack a picnic tea and go to the park with it. Those cold dark nights will be here before you know it. Make the most of the light evenings.

What time is his second nap? Have you experimented with moving it? Is he on some solids yet?
He won’t be bored, just tired and or hungry.

Can he sit in the bath for an hour with some foam or bath toys?

make a tent in the bedroom with a blanket?

play with dried pasta on the kitchen floor?

use the space you have at home in different ways

Make a picky meal for tea and go out for a walk to the park, put baby on a picnic blanket and have some food.
Or go swimming early on in the day and then library/park later on
Alternatively get a tuff tray/mixing tray and pour cereal or weetabix onto it, mix it up with some toy cars/diggers and let him make a mess
Long bath with some new bath toys
Definitely do up the garden if you can!

Why is everything hazardous outside the living room? Why is your garden not useable? This is what you need to sort out, you can’t have a baby and have hazardous conditions. Also isn’t your 6 year old bored too just going those outings? Play dates with friends, holiday clubs and activities, country parks, adventure play areas, go swimming, woodland walks, picnics, role play cafes, day trip to the beach, aquarium, fun fair. There’s so many options for things to do especially in the holidays when there’s lots of community activities on.

Witching hour. I used to take DD on what we termed the UST, useless shopping trip, to Sainsburys to buy one banana or something just to get us out the house. Otherwise get the older one some chalk, bubbles, paintbrush or a watergun and find something to do outside while baby watches in a sling or pram.

Can you look at free or cheap classes in your area, often things at churches for example.
can you take dinner as a packed lunch and go sit in the park and eat? Take them to the supermarket or shopping even it doesn’t just have to be somewhere they like, I take dd out and have her smell things in the shops like herbs, or candles, and ‘help’ by holding things for me, or put things in the basket.

you could find child friendly cafes with play areas, try farms, a different park, a local walk, museums, baby cinema, do you have any family or friends you could visit? Can you get a membership to national trust or something near your house?
do they have bedrooms? Can’t you play in there a little? And childproof some of the other places like the kitchen?

You could try getting out the house again, especially this time of year just take a picnic blanket, a few toys for each child and sit somewhere? I still do that quite frequently with my toddler now although it was definitely easier before she started walking/running.

Or what about a sensory activity for afternoons? I bought mine for I think £20 from Amazon last year and it’s more than paid for itself by now. You can do all sorts with them, lots of inspo on tiktok, I do mostly messy play ones so e.g. farm theme with cooked rice green food colouring for grass, crushed weetabix for mud, some yoghurt as water, a little tray of water & animal toys. Or a volcano theme, red dyed spaghetti, yoghurt, strawberry yoghurt, some mushed raspberries, they don’t have to be edible or messy that is just my daughter’s favourite. I tend to prep the bits the night before so that it only takes me a few mins to set the tray up and it’s usually at least an hour of fun!

So I used too
Put some cereal on a tray- with animals, cars etc... roll them through it, crunch them up etc
Also popped in high chair and played with yoghurt and food colouring- painting a picture
Have them in the kitchen when I prepare tea- there was a cupboard with things she could play with safely- wooden spoons, Tupperware, silicone whisk, measuring cups, pans etc
I also did a sensory basket- which changed regularly. Would put hats, gloves, socks type things, or wooden objects, or crinkly things ... Again anything around the house that baby could play with that wasn't a toy.....
Have a look at 5 minute mum on Instagram as she had loads of ideas

Find some safe kitchen items for him to play with - saucepan and lid, wooden spoon, whisk, Tupperware tubs with things to put in and take out, plastic cups etc

I’d go out again, must be more than one playground near you! Or even just a walk. We have a dog so we always go out for a walk in the afternoon even if we’ve been out to a playground in the morning, but you don’t need a dog to do that. Mooch around the shops, go for a coffee, find a playgroup in the morning they can both go to (or send 6yo to a holiday camp/ play date occasionally so you can take baby to a baby group). Swimming.

Google treasure baskets and make some up? Babies always seem to prefer to play with things that are not toys and they are really good for their development. Rotate the items in the baskets so there is always something different to play with. There are some good ideas here

Also are you sure he doesn’t need a short cat nap around that time? I think three naps is still normal for that age with the last one being a short one (could be out and about).

I live outside with my two in the summer. I would go out again personally. Even if it’s just to the nearest field with a picnic blanket and some toys/entertainment for them both. Babies are just so much happier outside than in. Or I’d tackle why your garden isn’t useable.

Pop to a local park and put the baby in the swing. Buy some bubbles.
Give him some spoons, whisks, pots and pans and some dry cheerios and watch him go nuts 🤣

Then after his first nap we go out somewhere and come home for lunch

You must only be out for an hour or two everyday if this is the case? I’m amazed your 6 yo isn’t kicking off more alongside the baby.

I’d just go out again tbh. I’ve got an 18 month old and on my days off we go out twice, first thing around 9-10am and then again before dinner.

I have an extremely active 11 month old. You have to go out for the afternoon too. Soft play or something similar. Find something that works because it gets worse, not better. Mine was walking at 10 months and at 11 months he can really really climb too. Anything short of those asylum rooms with padded walls and ceilings is hazardous 🤣

@Chick981 nope most babies drop the third nap around 7 months.

Yep. We used to wonder what the hell caused all the whinging at that time of night. Looking back on videos a few years later we said “holy crap, she was clearly knackered, how did we miss that” 😆

Do they? Mine didn’t. She was a nightmare without it. Surely it’s about your individual child rather than some chart?